Hometeam: Leominster 42, St. John's 32

Sunday

Dec 2, 2012 at 6:00 AMDec 2, 2012 at 11:43 AM

Who says there's no running the ball in Dave Palazzi's offense? Leominster High quarterback Garrett DelleChiaie showed his coach is always open to new ideas. The senior rushed 17 times for 205 yards and two touchdowns as the Blue Devils rolled up 536 yards and recovered from a turnover-plagued first half to defeat St. John's High, 42-32, and repeat as Central Mass. Division 1 Super Bowl champions yesterday at Fitchburg State.

By Jim Wilson TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF

Who says there's no running the ball in Dave Palazzi's offense?

Leominster High quarterback Garrett DelleChiaie showed his coach is always open to new ideas.

The senior rushed 17 times for 205 yards and two touchdowns as the Blue Devils rolled up 536 yards and recovered from a turnover-plagued first half to defeat St. John's High, 42-32, and repeat as Central Mass. Division 1 Super Bowl champions yesterday at Fitchburg State.

“This means the world,” DelleChiaie said. “For us seniors, we put our whole entire lives into this program and the coaches put hours upon hours of work, so for it to pay off like that, there is no better feeling in the world.”

DelleChiaie completed 13 of 18 passes for 187 yards and two touchdowns, while sophomore James Gurley carried 14 times for 116 yards and two scores.

DelleChiaie put Leominster ahead to stay in the fourth quarter when he broke a 49-yard run up the middle, then scored on a 20-yard burst. The conversion rush failed, leaving it 34-26 with 4:38 left.

Third-seeded St. John's (8-5) answered with a four-play, 50-yard drive that was capped when Shadrach Abrokwah (25 carries, 170 yards) broke two tackles on a 27-yard TD run. His conversion attempt was stuffed, making it 34-32 with 3:47 left.

The fourth-seeded Blue Devils (9-4) weren't fazed. DelleChaie opened Leominster's next drive with a 33-yard gain that brought it to the Pioneers' 26. Gurley scored three plays later, taking a sweep around the right side from 8 yards. Mayson Williams went up the middle on the conversion to make it 42-32 with 1:36 left.

St. John's then drove to the Leominster 20 before Gurley picked off Drew Smiley's pass in the end zone to seal it.

It was a tremendous turnaround for the Blue Devils, who fumbled three times and were intercepted once in the first half but trailed by only 14-12 at halftime.

“I went ballistic at halftime,” Palazzi said. “I told them we played the worst half of football, at least from an offensive standpoint, that I've ever seen.”

DelleChiaie fumbled a handoff on Leominster's first play, and it was recovered by Matt Murphy. The Blue Devils' next drive was stopped when Williams fumbled, and it was recovered by Jeff DeMango.

Barron Dandridge wrapped up DelleChiaie in the backfield in the second quarter, but DelleChiaie's attempt to get rid of the ball was picked off by Andrew Sullivan, who returned it 53 yards for a touchdown to make it 14-6. Dandridge also had a strip sack of DelleChiaie on Leominster's next drive that was recovered by Connor Gatto.

“How do you come out of the first half that he had? It was horrific aside from the two pass plays he had to end the half,” Palazzi said. “He's fumbing, we're fumbling, there was a pick-six, but to come out the way we did in the second half was just unbelievable.”

DelleChiaie showed signs of turning it around on Leominster's final drive after Adam Aubuchon recovered a fumble to set up the Blue Devils on their own 41-yard line with 58 seconds left. DelleChiaie hit Gurley with an 8-yard screen, then connected with Neil O'Connor down the left sideline for a 32-yard gain, and followed that with a 16-yard touchdown pass to O'Connor down the right side. The rush failed, leaving it 14-12 with 12 seconds left.

“We put that play in yesterday,” Palazzi said. “We thought they were going to come out cover-2, and that's why we put it in and he made two perfect plays. It's just an unbelievable route. We didn't even go over the route, we just told (DelleChiaie), 'post corner,' and he put the balls perfectly where they belonged.”

St. John's coach John Andreoli said the second half was all about the Pioneers stopping DelleChiaie.

“They spread us out, and he ran the ball real well, and we didn't have an answer for them in the second half — it's just that simple,” Andreoli said. “We scored a lot of points, but they outran us in the second half.”

Palazzi said the turning point was Leominster's halftime adjustments.

“The plays we ran in the second half, we really haven't run those this year out of those formations,” Palazzi said. “We just kept running the same plays over and over again — quarterback kick and tailback kick — and they tried doubling O'Connor the first part of the half and we ran right to it, so they didn't have an outside backer.”

DelleChiaie became the first quarterback in school history to lead Leominster to consecutive Super Bowl wins. It's the 11th championship for the Blue Devils.

“It means a lot because we've had some great quarterbacks and some great teams, and I couldn't have done it without my teammates,” DelleChiaie said. “This is my last game with Leominster across my chest, so this means a lot to me.”